What Has Gene Simmons Actually Tried to Trademark?

Gene Simmons’ trademarking rampage has become stuff of rock legend, but do you actually know what terms he’s attempted to own? During the KISS demon’s recent visit to our studio, we got an official short-list from Simmons himself.

One of 2017’s big stories was Simmons’ attempt to trademark the “I love you” hand sign. That gesture, along with the more malevolent “devil horns” has been universally associated with rock music for decades, so Simmons’ effort to “own” the symbol wasn’t well received by music fans. Gene eventually withdrew his application, but the stir allowed for a list of 182 alleged trademark endeavors from Simmons to be published via Noisey.

We asked Simmons about the trademarks, some of which he claims to have never filed for. However, many of them are true, including the term “Trophy wife.” “Trophy Wife was a show I created that Lion’s Gate and I were doing,” Simmons says. “Lion’s Gate said they wanted to change the title because it’s demeaning to women. I said, well, I appreciate that, but I didn’t create the term. It’s what it’s called when you have a beautiful woman and she has no other abilities … I’ve gotta do it my way or the highway, so I took the project back.”

Another successful trademark from the KISS legend was “?enis”. The slight twist on “Penis” was actually supposed to be the title of a book “about women’s and men’s fascination with that thing — the staff of righteousness.”

Finally, Simmons dismissed the famous claim by Ronnie James Dio that Gene had attempted to trademark “OJ” for orange juice. “That is an urban myth,” Simmons claims. Watch for yourself in our exclusive video above and click here to check out Gene Simmons’ Vault box set.